News

Hypor Boars Score a Cut Above the Competition for Meat Quality

14 September 2016

US - Both of Hypor’s Duroc boars made the final cut at MoonRidge Foods (MRF), based on their exceptional meat quality. MRF recently invested $52 million into a new, niche pork processing plant in Pleasant Hope, Missouri that markets exclusive Duroc derived pork to high-end restaurants.

The Hypor Kanto and the Magnus sire lines surpassed the meat quality qualifications for MRF based on colour, pH and marbling scores conducted in product cut tests.

“Ninety-five per cent of the Hypor Kanto and Hypor Magnus boars met the criteria for pH and colour score,” says Hypor US Account Manager John Williams.

He adds that the results are comfortably above MRF’s meat quality requirements. The programme requires that 60 per cent of the pigs tested meet the pH score, and that 85 per cent meet the colour score.

In addition to surpassing the pH and color requirements, both the Hypor Magnus and Hypor Kanto met the criteria for marbling. MRF’s quality programme requires that the meat has a uniform and desirable pink colour, and that it has a pH level of 5.5 to 5.9.

The ideal marbling percentage for the meat quality program is 3 to 4 per cent. MRF scored the loins of 100 pigs from each boar line in May at the Sioux-Preme Packing plant in Sioux City, Iowa.

“There is a premium for producers to use the Hypor Kanto and the Hypor Magnus in their breeding programs,” Mr Williams says. “MRF pays $16 to $18 above the standard market price for pigs that meet their quality requirements.”

The Hypor Kanto is currently used at MRF’s 1,400-sow unit and has been selected to use at MRF’s new 1,700-sow unit and new 1,300-sow unit.

“MRF likes the consistency in quality from the Hypor boars—they are especially impressed with the high quality from the Hypor Kanto.”

The Hypor Kanto is developed to produce premium pork for niche and export markets. Approximately 30 per cent of MRF’s pork will be exported to new Asian Markets.

Production is set to begin in September 2016, and an estimated 600,000 pigs will be slaughtered annually.

“Niche markets like this one are excellent opportunities for pork producers to benefit from both Hypor Magnus and Hypor Kanto genetics,” Mr Williams says. Hypor boars are developed to balance meat quality with on-farm feed efficiency.

“In addition to producing a superior end product, the Hypor Magnus and Hypor Kanto are highly feed efficient,” he says.

“This helps producers lower their production costs and at the same time bring in more revenue from the packer.”